The Cleveland Browns have officially filled all of their major coaching positions. Todd Monken, of course, has taken over as head coach, and he’s joined by Mike Rutenberg as DC and Travis Switzer as OC.
Having all three of these positions filled by new coaches can be a bit of a learning curve, and the Browns certainly have their work cut out for them if they want to be relevant in 2026. But, everything coming out of the Browns’ camp has been positive thus far, and Monken seems confident in his coordinators.
He mentioned as much in a recent press conference, giving special attention to DC Rutenberg. Reporters asked him his reasoning for making the hire, and Monken has plenty of answers about how he made this decision.
“His energy, his juice, his vision for not only what we had from a player standpoint, but what they’ve done in the past and how he felt like he could take another step forward,” Monken said.
As Monken mentioned, Rutenberg has a lot of experience in this league, and he has faith that the veteran coordinator will make the right decisions from a player perspective. Rutenberg has been an NFL coach for over 10 years, spending time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, and, most recently, the Atlanta Falcons.
The Browns’ defense was one of the best in the league last year, giving Rutenberg a strong roster of players to work with for his first year with the organization. They not only hit on several draft picks, but their veterans came to play, and Myles Garrett, of course, won Defensive Player of the Year.
It could be easy for Rutenberg to rest on the team’s laurels, hoping to just replicate their success from last season and stay stagnant. However, staying stagnant isn’t going to cut it for a team that won five games last year. He’ll need to come prepared to do things differently, helping this defense become a unit that’s even better than it has been in the past.
NEXT: Todd Monken Reveals How Browns' Offense Will Look In 2026
